When God first called Abraham, He inundated his soul with a sea of promises. He spoke to him from the starry heavens, and Abraham saw great possibilities of things for himself and his descendants. He drank in God's promises, until his faith became powerful, even before any of the promises were fulfilled.

God deals with us similarly. When He wants to use us or give answers to our prayers, He begins by opening up to us the promises in His Word and the possibilities they offer.I often find I cannot truly believe God will answer my prayer until I focus on a scripture verse. So as I pray, I ask the Lord, "What specifically should I pray? Give me Your Word to believe for this situation."

Frequently the Holy Spirit brings a verse to mind that exactly speaks the language of my heart. As I think on the verse, it is as though my faith has found a resting place. Later, when I recall the need for which I've prayed, I can also recall the promise I'm trusting God to fulfill. Giving thanks for the fulfillment of His Word strengthens my ability to continue believing.

The more we use scripture in prayer, the more our faith will grow. We're told to take "the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions" (Eph. 6:17-18). The implication here is that we are to take the Word of God with us when we expect to pray in the Spirit.

Andrew Murray taught that much of the Word with little prayer gives a sickly spiritual life, while much prayer with little of the Word gives more life but little steadfastness. A healthy prayer life involves combining the Word with prayer.

Thank You, Lord, for Your promises that nourish our faith as we pray.

"Faith comes from listening to this message of good news-the Good News about Christ" (Romans 10:17 NLT).